Patient Information

At the Main Campus, each patient has a bedside telephone. We’ll give you the phone number assigned to your room so your family and friends can call you directly. If anyone calls you after 10 pm, the call will go to the nurses' station. 

To make a local call, dial 9 + the number. Local calls are free. 

To make a long distance call, use a calling card or call collect. Dial 9 + 0 for help from an operator. 

At the Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit at The Medical Center’s West Campus, patients can use public phones.  

Cell phones and walkie-talkies are important ways to stay in touch with family and friends — but they can cause problems with some of the electronic medical equipment we use. To keep our patients safe: 

If you’re near electronic medical equipment (within 3 feet), turn off your cell phones and walkie-talkies.  

You may not use cell phones or walkie-talkies in some places in the Medical Center, including:  

• Intensive Care Unit (ICU) 
• Emergency Department (ED) 
• Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) 

We encourage a quiet environment to make our patients comfortable. In areas where cell phones are allowed, like hallways and lounges, please be considerate by speaking quietly when talking on the phone.  

At the Main Campus, each patient has a bedside color television with cable channels. If you would like TV earphones, please ask your nurse. 

At the Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit at The Medical Center’s West Campus, televisions are available in the common areas.

Channel 56 is the hospital’s patient education channel. You can find the list of programs attached to the television in your room.

Channel 57 is the hospital’s relaxation channel that features beautiful music, scenery, inspirational messages, humor, and techniques to help you reduce stress. 

We offer free Wi-Fi access for our patients, visitors and guests. By using our wireless connection, you agree to the following: 

You are accessing the Internet at your own risk. We don’t provide technical support. We recommend you use personal antivirus, firewall and virtual private network (VPN) software on your devices if security is a concern. We’re not responsible for any hardware or software issues that may happen before, during, or after you use our wireless network. 

We use content filtering tools to help you avoid inadvertently accessing web sites containing content that is inconsistent with our purpose for providing Internet access. 

You may not use our Internet connection to view or send offensive or otherwise inappropriate messages or images. 

Our wireless Internet is separate from the network we use to transmit patient data. We don’t collect any personal information from your use of the wireless network, but we do record your device address and the time and date of connection so we can keep track of how many people are using our wireless connection. 

• Patient Visitation 
• Healing Services 
• Conferences 
• Training 
• Outreach 
• Prayer Shawl Ministry 
• Laptop Labyrinth available to Cancer patients for comfort and meditation 

• When you desire the sacraments and/or someone to pray with you. 
• When you need someone to listen. 
• When you are unable to forgive. 
• When you feel the need to draw strength from your spiritual roots. 
• When you need support in time of crisis or loss. 
• When you want to clarify your values regarding health care decisions. 
• When you need spiritual direction and counseling. 
• When you need spiritual support with End of Life issues. 

Patients and their families can quickly and easily create a personal CaringBridge web page and write journal entries to update family and friends. Visitors to the web page can read the entries and send messages of support and encouragement in the guestbook. 

It’s easy and requires only basic computer skills. 

1. Go to www.caringbridge.org. 
2. Click on “Create a CaringBridge site” and follow the easy directions—Don’t forget to identify Southern New Hampshire Medical Center as your CaringBridge sponsor. 
3. Give friends and family your unique CaringBridge address (URL)—We recommend you include a password for added security protection. 

You can update your web page as often as you like. 

1. Visit www.caringbridge.org. 
2. Click on “sign in” and enter your web page name and password. 
3. Add a new journal entry, view your guestbook entries, edit, or delete your page. 

CaringBridge™ is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring together a global community of care, powered by the love of family and friends in an easy, accessible, and private way. 

CaringBridge is sponsored by Southern New Hampshire Medical Center as a convenience for our patients and administered by the CaringBridge nonprofit organization. 

CaringBridge allows you to easily access your site any time day or night, from any computer with an internet connection. CaringBridge access is available to our patients and their visitors from a computer located on the third floor of The Medical Center in the 3-West waiting area. 

Support services are available on the CaringBridge site. Click on “Feedback/Questions” or use the “Help” button at the top of the page. 

CaringBridge offers a menu of privacy settings, including password protection for both author and visitors. You may also choose to create an “Approved” or “Blocked” visitors’ list. We encourage you to review the Privacy Policy and choose the most secure option prior to using the site.   

You provide your loved ones with your web page address (URL) and password, if applicable. Every member of your caring community is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of this information and should not share it with others without your permission. 

Disclaimer: CaringBridge does not warrant that its website or any CaringBridge website is totally secure. Please use this site solely at your own risk. 

We are aware that going home may involve the help of family or friends. Your care team will keep you informed and will do their best to give you a date and approximate time of discharge in advance. 

On the day you leave: 

• Your doctor will write an order for you to go home. 
• Your care team will review discharge information with you. You will be given written instructions. 
• Valuables and personal belongings that you stored with us will be returned to you. 
• Please arrange for a ride home in advance. When you are ready to leave, a member of the hospital staff or a volunteer will bring you to the main entrance and make sure that your ride is here. 

Your nurses will teach you or your family about caring for yourself at home. If this is appropriate for you, no services or agencies need to be involved. 

If you or your family needs help with your care, then a home health care agency can help. Home health care can provide visits from a nurse, home health aide, medical social worker, and therapists while you continue to recover at home.

If you no longer need to be in a hospital but still need 24 hour care, a skilled nursing facility may be right for you. Skilled nursing facilities provide rehabilitation and specialized care.

If you need rehabilitation that cannot be provided from an outpatient office, a rehabilitation center may be what you need. During your stay at a rehabilitation center, a team of therapists, nurses, and providers will take care of you. They will help you to build up your strength and improve your health.

Hospice care is for patients with a terminal illness or those who choose not to have aggressive medical treatment. Hospice care specializes in pain control and comfort measures. This type of care can be provided in your home or at a hospice facility.